San Andreas has a load of different versions, the original 1.0 version, several Steam versions, several Rockstar Games Launcher versions, different disc versions… and these versions can be different depending on regions too.

It’s definitely a bit of a mess. The only reason I’d recommend downgrading is so you can mod the game. If you’re not going to mod, you should stick with the latest versions of San Andreas, as the latest versions have some vital fixes on PC that can only be done with mods in version 1.0.

If you are going to mod, which I assume you are if you're downgrading… I have the most accurate and in-depth modding guide available for San Andreas, so be sure to follow that guide after you downgrade for the best modding experience.

https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989440368
Anyway, like I said, there’s a lot of versions. Even if you’re on version 1.0, there’s differences depending on regions too. The most moddable version of San Andreas is the cracked US version of 1.0. This is often referred to as “Hoodlum”.

So in this guide, I’ll teach you how to downgrade to this version. Downgrading will also restore music that has been cut in the game through updates over the years.

Please keep in mind, saves from different versions of San Andreas aren’t compatible with each other initially. I'll cover how to convert them in this guide.

I understand Rockstar has made it difficult to find this game anywhere on PC, as it’s now only available to purchase on the Rockstar Games Launcher. I also understand not everyone has enough money to buy the game either, which means they might pirate the game instead.

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee downgrading and modding will work on all pirated versions of the game, as there’s so many out there. If you really want to try downgrading a pirated copy of San Andreas, follow steps two, three and four of the DVD section, but it’s not guaranteed to work, so keep that in mind.

I've also created a video covering how to downgrade, if you prefer that over text.

Unfortunately downgraders have been a bit of a mess in the GTA community, overcomplicating the downgrading process. So I've made mine as simple as possible.

Some downgraders come as actual installers, however these often have issues on certain systems or require admin permission to work. There's also downgraders that come with mods prepacked, however this is an issue as the mods can often be outdated, OR users will get these mods from these overcomplicated downgraders, not realise what they have installed, then when they mod the game themselves, they reinstall the same mods, causing issues with their game.

Lastly, a lot of the downgraders for San Andreas comes with a compact 1.0 .exe. This isn't compatible with every type of mod and the only benefit is it saves literally a few MB of space. My downgrader comes with the most mod compatible .exe.


Most downgraders compress their files using 7zip or WinRAR, which shrinks the archive size down when downloading. I chose to instead pack my downgrader in a basic Windows .zip archive. This is so users don't have to download third party tools to use my downgrader, as .zip archives can be opened directly in File Explorer.

The downgrader IS safe. The .zip archive simply contains 1.0 game files that have been changed in later versions. The biggest files are the audio files.

Like I said in the introduction section, San Andreas v1.0 has some very annoying bugs that make it difficult to play, including this mouse bug. If you're downgrading, you basically need to mod to make the game playable.

After downgrading, I'd recommend you follow my ULTIMATE MODDING GUIDE for GTA San Andreas. A full in-depth, easy to follow modding guide which will teach you the best way to mod San Andreas!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989440368

Anyway with all of that out of the way, let’s start by downgrading the Steam version of San Andreas.

• Step 1: Download my downgrader[mega.nz]. The downgrader is also available to download on Mediafire, but unfortunately Steam blocks Mediafire links, so you can find the Mediafire link in the description of the downgrader video linked in the introduction of this guide.
  
  
• Step 2: Launch San Andreas on Steam before you downgrade. If you don’t do a first time launch before downgrading, Steam will possibly update San Andreas and undo the downgrader.
  
  
• Step 3: Open your San Andreas folder. You can find this by right clicking San Andreas in your Steam library, click “Properties…”, click “Local Files”, and then click “Browse”.
  
  
• Step 4: Open the downgrader archive that you just downloaded. Copy all of the files from the archive, into your San Andreas game folder (this is where gta-sa.exe is located). Replace all of the files when asked.

And that’s it, San Andreas is now downgraded.

However here’s the thing, if Rockstar for some reason ever updated the Steam version of San Andreas again, it will revert the downgrader and if you have mods installed, it will break your mods. It’s very unlikely they’ll update it now as it’s no longer for sale on Steam, but there’s still a small possibility.

So you have two options. You can take the really small risk, and continue to launch San Andreas through Steam.

Or, you can rename your San Andreas folder so Steam will no longer detect it. The downside to this is, you won’t be able to launch the game through Steam.

It’s up to you really. If you do rename your San Andreas folder, you can delete “gta-sa.exe”, and just launch San Andreas by clicking “gta_sa.exe” instead.

There’s no difference between the two exe's other than Steam uses “gta-sa.exe” instead of “gta_sa.exe” to launch the game. Both executables are the exact same aside from their names.

If you’re launching San Andreas through Steam, I’d recommend keeping both “gta-sa.exe” and “gta_sa.exe”.

The reason for this is, some REALLY old mods may expect the games EXE to be called “gta_sa.exe”, so they won’t work if you launch the game through Steam, which uses “gta-sa.exe”.
Again, these are really old mods that you’ll likely never even see. If for some reason a mod you want does need the games EXE to be called “gta_sa.exe”, you’ll just have to launch the game through that EXE instead of through Steam.

Like I said in the Introduction, I’d HEAVILY recommend modding the 1.0 version of San Andreas as it’s quite buggy without mods. I have a full in-depth, easy to follow modding guide which will teach you the best way to mod San Andreas, so make sure you check it out!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989440368

The Rockstar Games Launcher version of San Andreas is a bit of a nuisance, especially to downgrade and mod. Unfortunately, it’s also the only place you can get a legit version of San Andreas digitally, since Rockstar removed San Andreas from Steam with the release of the definitive editions.

Anyway, let’s downgrade this version of the game.

Unlike Steam, Rockstar Games Launcher restricts your ability to modify game files without administrator approval. This is a problem because some mods will need to change files as you play, and unless you run the game as an admin, which I really wouldn’t recommend, mods won’t work correctly.

Along with that, Rockstar Games Launcher will also update your game anytime files are modified, undoing your changes. This will also reset permissions on the games folder even if you change it.
The best solution to this issue is to simply copy your San Andreas folder, and paste it somewhere where administrator approval isn’t required. So that’ll be our first step.

• Step 1: Find your San Andreas folder by clicking on “Settings” in the Rockstar Games Launcher, click San Andreas in your installed games list, then find “View installation folder” and click “Open” next to it.
  
  
• Step 2: Go back to the “Rockstar Games” folder and copy and paste your San Andreas folder to another location on your PC. I’d recommend copying the game to a generic games folder outside of Program Files, or on another drive.
  
  Make sure you copy and paste the game, don’t cut and paste. Cutting and pasting the game will carry over the restrictive permissions from Rockstar Games Launcher, which we don’t want.
  
  
• Step 3: Check if you can modify the pasted games folder without admin approval. You can check this by right clicking in your game folder, go to “New” in the context menu, and if the option to create a new folder hasn’t got the little shield icon next to it, you’re all set to go.
  
  
  If you still have the shield icon next to the new folder option, copy the game folder again and paste it somewhere else on your system that isn’t as restrictive.
  
  
• Step 4: Delete “MTLX.dll” from the San Andreas folder you just pasted.
  
  
• Step 5: Download my downgrader[mega.nz]. The downgrader is also available to download on Mediafire, but unfortunately Steam blocks Mediafire links, so you can find the Mediafire link in the description of the downgrader video linked in the introduction of this guide.
  
  
• Step 6: Open the downgrader archive that you just downloaded. Copy all of the files from the archive, into your pasted San Andreas folder (this is where gta_sa.exe is located). Replace all of the files when asked.
  
  
• Step 7: Delete “gta-sa.exe”. This is the exact same as “gta_sa.exe”, except it’s only used for launching the game through Steam, which you can’t do with this version. So you can remove it to avoid confusion.

And that’s it, San Andreas is downgraded. You can launch San Andreas by clicking “gta_sa.exe”.

If you want, you can delete the Rockstar Games Launcher version of the game to save space.

Like I said in the Introduction, I’d HEAVILY recommend modding the 1.0 version of San Andreas as it’s quite buggy without mods. I have a full in-depth, easy to follow modding guide which will teach you the best way to mod San Andreas, so make sure you check it out!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989440368

Lastly, the DVD version of San Andreas. This one is fairly easy to do.

• Step 1: Install San Andreas from the DVD onto your PC. When installing, make sure you don’t install the game in Program Files, I’d recommend installing it into a generic games folder outside of Program Files, or on another drive entirely. Remember exactly where you install San Andreas.
  
  
• Step 2: Download my downgrader[mega.nz]. The downgrader is also available to download on Mediafire, but unfortunately Steam blocks Mediafire links, so you can find the Mediafire link in the description of the downgrader video linked in the introduction of this guide.
  
  
• Step 3: Open the archive you just downloaded. Copy all of the files from the archive, into your San Andreas folder (this is where gta_sa.exe is located). Replace all of the files when asked.
  
  
• Step 4: Delete “gta-sa.exe”. This is the exact same as “gta_sa.exe”, except it’s only used for launching the game through Steam, which you can’t do with this version. So you can remove it to avoid confusion.

And that’s it, San Andreas is now downgraded. After downgrading, you won’t need the DVD to launch the game anymore. You can launch San Andreas by clicking “gta_sa.exe”.

Like I said in the Introduction, I’d HEAVILY recommend modding the 1.0 version of San Andreas as it’s quite buggy without mods. I have a full in-depth, easy to follow modding guide which will teach you the best way to mod San Andreas, so make sure you check it out!
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2989440368